Following an apparent warning from Moscow last week against a rushed peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Washington reiterated that such a deal between the two South Caucasus nations is still "within reach."

Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US Department of State, was asked about statements from “Russian officials” during an August 7 press briefing. The Russian official Denis Gonchar earlier warned that a hastily prepared Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty could lead to new conflicts in the future.

In this regard, Matthew Miller said: “I don’t want to speak with respect to Russia when it comes to Armenia and Azerbaijan. I want to speak with respect to those two countries who are directly related – who are direct parties in this dispute. We have been engaged directly with those countries; Special Envoy Bono traveled to the region last week and engaged directly with them. And we believe, despite any comments from other countries who are not a party to this matter, that an agreement remains within reach, and we will continue to work with them to pursue it.”

In recent months, the US and the EU have intensified their efforts to facilitate a resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. U.S.-mediated negotiations took place in May and June, while the EU organized Armenian-Azerbaijani summits. The possibility of a peace treaty has been a central focus of these discussions, with speculation that it could be finalized by year’s end.

Read also: Russian MFA: "Armenia and Azerbaijan Not Ready for Peace Treaty"